What Does Your New Boy Scout Need for Camp?

What Does Your New Boy Scout Need?

Welcome to Boy Scouting! If you’re like we were several years ago, we had no idea what our new scout needed. Even with the packing lists given to us and our own outdoor experiences, we weren’t sure of the best brands to purchase.

I still remember sitting with another new-scout-mom and listening to a 16 year old give us his sage advice for camp. All of the chair were put away around us as we listened. I had so many questions.

We had no idea how we’d ever send our firstborns off to camp. Is this you too? Somehow we’ve managed and they had a great time. We’ve been sending our sons away to Boy Scout Camp for several years now and have made a Master List for Boy Scout Camp and Parent Tips for Camp.

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We’ve learned that every new Boy Scout needs the following gear. All of this gear can really become expensive if you purchase it all at one time. Tip: Starting Christmas of our son’s 5th grade year, we started purchasing the following items. We even added them to our son’s wish list for relatives to purchase too. Spreading out the expense really helped out.

Water bottle – This simple bottle is light weight and has a ring for each gear attachment.

Rubbermaid boxes – This size is perfect for scouts to carry and stash their gear in. They also fit under the cots at most scout camps.

Hiking boots – This type of boot has a great feature for kids – they have an insole that you can remove to add about 1/2 size to make them last longer).

Sleeping Bag – This really depends on the climate your child will be camping. Tip: It’s always better to be too warm when you’re sleeping outdoors, than too cold.

If you really want a more thorough list, click here for Summer Camp Supplies for the New Boy Scout.

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What Does Your New Boy Scout Need for Camp?

Packing Tip: Make this is into a checklist for your scout. Let them gather all of their supplies and pack themselves. Packing “themselves” means that they gather supplies and we call out the checklist while they pack it in the box. We usually keep most of their supplies in one large box and then pull out what’s needed each month.

We have zero tips on getting kids to change underwear while they’re gone. Funny-but-not-funny. One child just said to us, “I changed my underwear everyday, but the tent was dark. So, maybe I was just putting the same pair on everyday.” << BOYS!

2-3 Lightweight shorts – Official Boy Scout gear is not required. The uniform’s convertible pants are top notch. Many boys will wear them and (this is important) only open up the knees to vent. Teach your son to never separate the top from the bottom. They just get lost too easily in a sea of boys.

7 Socks

7 Underwear – This wick-away underwear dries fast. I cannot guarantee that they will change their underwear daily – sorry!

Camp Chair (an inexpensive foldable one) – Watch local sports store ads for good deals, the chairs do no come back in good shape after being outdoors all week. Our last one was used a stepping stool for the boys to get into the hammocks. Needless to say, it did not come back in one piece.

Optional Gear for Boy Scout Camp:

Money – suggest around $20 – $40 for visits to the General Store (snacks or forgotten gear).

To haul and store your stuff, we’ve found that two Rubbermaid Roughneck 10 gallon storage boxes work well – one for clothes, one for gear. They slide right under the cot. Rubbermaid boxes (This size is perfect for scouts to carry and stash their gear in. They also fit under the cots at most scout camps.

Parent Tips for Sending Your First Child to Scout Camp

Depending on you or your child, it may help to go the first 1-2 nights of camp. This is usually only an option for Assistant Scout Masters. If you do go, be generous and send back pictures to all of the other new parents. Do not promise this to your child until you have checked with the Scout Master.

If your child calls crying, just listen. If they can make it until Wednesday (halfway), they’ll make it the rest of the week. No Boy Scout really wants to leave camp. Scout Camp teaches perseverance, independence and develops their sense of grit.

Even if your troop or camp allows technology, do not plan on relying on this as a source of contact for your child.

I’m okay with the old, wet tennis shoes be thrown away at the end of camp. The same goes for a few other things we sent along (towel, camp chair, swim suit, etc). We’re not sending our best things and I don’t send anything expecting it will return in pristine condition.

Everything expands at Scout Camp and somehow does not fit back into the original container. This is where a laundry bag comes in handy. I originally thought that a trash bag would be best, but they can easily get confused with the trash and end up in the dumpster.

Showering and Teeth Brushing are minimal. This year I finally wised up and sent a little pack of wipes.

Label all things. No fancy labels needed, duct tape and a permanent marker work well too.

Have low expectations when your man-child returns. They will feel older, wiser and may even look taller, but they are also exhausted. Be prepared for this, don’t plan anything except feeding them and showering for the first 48-hours. They’ll recover and come back to being your son.

Do expect growth. Your son will have had a different level of independence while at camp. Use this to your benefit. Increase their responsibilities around the home and in the caring of their things.

Still struggling on whether or not you did the right thing sending your child to camp? You’d probably like to read Homesick and Happy.

True story: One child came back from camp one year with a pair of someone else’s underwear. What?! Hilarious. We still get a big laugh out of it. I can just imagine all of the boys repacking after all of their belongings exploded all over the tent. It’s a long week.

Above all else, celebrate the accomplishment of going to camp and finishing camp.